The Iroquois carefully choose the locations for their villages.  They lived on a hill so that they could protect themselves.  The hill allowed them to see enemies approaching.  If they were being attacked, the Iroquois could just look down and throw rocks or use other weapons to protect themselves.  They also lived near a spring for a fresh water supply.  The Iroquois thought it was important to build their villages near rivers to make transportation easier.  A special location was essential for the success of a village.

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    The Iroquois carefully organized their villages.  A village could have anywhere from 20 longhouses all the way to100 houses. The longhouses in the village were built in random patterns so that if a fire started in one house it wouldn’t spread to others.  A palisade surrounded the village.  This protective fence had a shelf to hold rocks to throw at enemies and water to put out fires.  Many families lived within the palisade to be protected and connected to other tribe members.  The Iroquois planted their crops in fields outside the palisade.  The village was very important to the Iroquois way of life.